Thermal circuit-closer



W. V. REICHARD.

THERMAL CIRCUIT CLOSER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, 1921.

Inventor.-

Ti/ALTER 'V. REICHARD, O1 PAGLA, KANSAS.

TEERMAL CIRCUIT-CLOSER.

Application filed March 3, 1921.

To aZZ whom it may 007266741, V

Be it known that I, Vi a rnn V. Rnrormim, citizen of the United States,residing at aola, in the county of Miami and State of ansas,haveinvented certain new and uselrngrovements in Thermal Circuit-"iosers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the i; vention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved thermal circuit closer and oneobject of the in ion is to provide an improved construction in the faceand insulated terminal plate and to further provide an improved type ofresilient circuit closing strip carried by one of the terminal platesand releasably held out of engagement with the second terminal plate byfusible metal.

Another object of th invention is to provide the terminal plate carryingthe resilient contact strip with an improved cup-shaped devicepositioned beneath a cutout in the terminal plate and having an openingformed therein whi h will be normally closed by the fusible metalthrough which the end portion 01" the resilient strip will pass when thefusible metal has been melted.

Another object of the invention is to so construct this cup that thefree end portion of the resilient strip will be guided into the openingformed in this cup vhen the fusible metal has been melted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a thermal circuit closerwhich will be very eriioient in operation and cheap to produce.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing the improved thermal closer in top plan.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the thermal circuit closer shown in Fig.1.

This improved device is used for sounding an alarm in case of fire andis provided with the spaced upper and lower relatively rigid terminalplates A and A which will be secured upon a suitable insulating supportsuch as the ledge L. The plate A is socured by the securing screws F andF and the plate A is secured by the securing screws l-i. From aninspection of Fi 1 it will be seen that the signal hell I is connectedwith one of the securing screws H by means of a wire P and that t .ebattery Specification of Letters Patent.

dropped into the cup in a melted state Fit-tented Nov. 22, 1921. SerialNo. 450,316.

which is in circuit with the bell is connected with the securing screw Fby means of the wire P. Therefore, when the circuit is completed, thesignal bell I will be sounded and an alarm given. The terminal plate Ais siinpl fiat strip of metal through which electric current will pass,this plate being positioned beneath the terminal plate A and aspreviously stated secured to the ledge L by the fastener screws H. Theterminal plate A is also formed of sheet metal but this plate is bentadjacent one end to provide the upstanding necl: D and a baseE throughwhich the securing screws F and l pass. r idjacent tie neck D, thisupper platen has been provided with board having a threaded openingformed therein to receive the securing screw B which on gages the end ofthe resilient strip B to securely connect the strip B with the terminalplate A. This plate adjacent its free end is provided with a cutout Kand a cup M is connected with the underface or the plate Arto provide aguide which is positioned henc in and closes the opening K. An opening Mis formed in the center of the cup and normally this opening M will becovered by fusible metal N which will be and wii harden in the cup andclose the opening. This metal N may be formed of any suitable i'usiblemetal but will preferably be a combination of lead, tin, cadmium andbismuth which melts iit approximately 65 (3., the equivalent of 1&9 F.The resilient strip B is bent adjacent its free end as shown thusproviding a depending bill C which extends through the cutout K andrests upon the fusible metal N above the opening M.

lVhcn this device is in use, the two terminal plates will be connectedwith the ledge L and the'wires P and P, which lead from the bell andbattery will be connected with the fasteners for these plates as shown.Under ordinary circumstances, the fusible metal will prevent the bill Gfrom passing through the opening M and the resilient strip will thus beprevented from having contact with the terminal plate A. The circuitthrough the bell and battery will thus be broken and the signal will beprevented from being sounded. In case of fire, the fusible metal willmelt and the bill will pass through the opening of the cup and down intocontacting engagement with the terminal plate A. The circuit will thusbe completed and the signal bell will ring. By providing the cup-shapedguide M, the bill will be guided into the opening M in case this billshould have been bent somewhat and thus thepassage of the bill throughthe opening M will be assured.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided a thermal circuitcloser'which will be cheap to produce, easy to install and which will bevery eilicient in operation.

I claim: 7

1. In a thermal circuit closer, two strips of conducting material and aspring having an L-shaped end, the strips being arranged one abovetheother; the upper strip having a hole in its outer end to allow theL-shaped end of the spring to pass through and touch the lower strip andthe spring being fastened to the upper strip, in combination with apiece of easily fusible metal attached to the upper side of the upperstrip above the openm 2. A thermal clrcult closer comprising terminalplates positioned in spaced relation, one of said plates having anopening formed therein, a cup connected with said last mentioned plateand inclosingthe opening thereof, said cup having an opening formedtherein, fusible metal in the cup closing the opening thereof, and astrip of resilient metal'connecte'd with the terminal plate hav-- ingthe opening formed therein and having a free end portion provided with abill extending through the opening of the plate into said cup and havingits end resting upon the fusible metal adjacent the opening formed inthe cup.

3. A thermal circuit closer comprising terminal plates positioned oneabove the other, the upper plate havlng a cutout above the lower plate,a cup connected with the underface of the upper plate and inclosing thecutout thereof and provided with an opening closable by fusible metalplaced in the cup,

and a strip of resilient metal connected with Ithe upper plate andextending longitudinally thereof and having its free end portionprovided with aibill extending downwardly through the cutout of theupper plate into the cup and guided through the opening of the cup bythe walls thereof when fusible metal closing the opening of the cup hasbeen melted.

a. A thermal circuit closer comprising upper ant. lower terminal plates,a cup car ricd by the upper plate and extending toard the lower plateand having an opening ofthe upper strip and engage the lower strip 7 toclose a circuit, and easily fusible metal upon the upper side of theupper strip closing the opening formed therein and restraining the billof the resilient strip from passing through the opening of the upperstrip until melted. v

In testimony whereof I" have hereunto set my hand. v

' l VALTER V. REICHARI).

